Cobb Electric Membership Corporation (Cobb EMC) Rate Selection Guide
Cobb EMC is Georgia's largest electric membership cooperative, serving roughly 224,000 member-accounts across metro-Atlanta's northwest suburbs. As a member-owned co-op outside Georgia's retail-choice rules, it provides hourly interval data and Green Button exports through the NISC SmartHub platform.
Cobb Electric Membership Corporation (Cobb EMC) Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 30 | Small Commercial | $28/mo + ~8.85-12.11 cents/kWh tiered (seasonal) | Single-phase small businesses, churches, schools |
| Rate 40 | Large Commercial (demand) | $27/mo + ~4.69-13.46 cents/kWh tiered incl. demand; $6.32/kW min | Three-phase, demand-metered facilities |
| Commercial TOU/CPP | Time-varying | On-/off-peak energy (varies by period) | Loads that can shift away from summer afternoon peaks |
| Large Power 900 kW+ | Industrial | Negotiated contract | Large industrial loads (GTESA supplier choice possible) |
Market Overview
As a not-for-profit cooperative, Cobb EMC's rates are set by its member-elected board and adjusted via the Wholesale Power Adjustment (WP-12). Members cannot switch to competitive suppliers, except large new loads (900 kW+) under GTESA.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Cobb Electric Membership Corporation (Cobb EMC) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Cobb EMC's commercial and industrial rates are board-approved cooperative tariffs. Rate 30 (single-phase Small General Service) and Rate 40 (three-phase Large General Service, demand-metered) are the core C&I schedules, with Commercial TOU/CPP options and negotiated rates for loads of 900 kW or greater. All rates are adjusted by the Wholesale Power Adjustment (WP-12). Figures below are taken from Cobb EMC's published rate schedules.
Effective: January 1, 2022 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 30 - Small General Service (CS-14) | commercial | Single-phase commercial, churches, schools and public buildings on one meter; individual motors up to 7.5 HP. | Service Charge $28.00/mo. Winter (Nov 1-Apr 30): first 1,000 kWh @ 12.1125 cents, next 1,500 kWh @ 9.0725 cents, over 2,500 kWh @ 8.8540 cents. Summer (May 1-Oct 31): first 1,000 kWh @ 12.1125 cents, over 1,000 kWh @ 11.2290 cents. Plus Wholesale Power Adjustment (WP-12). Minimum $28.00. | — |
| Rate 40 - Large General Service (CS-14A) | commercial | Multi-phase (three-phase) commercial service at one secondary voltage; individual motors up to 20 HP. Demand-metered. | Service Charge $27.00/mo. Energy (incl. demand): first 10,000 kWh @ 13.4615 cents, next 190,000 kWh @ 11.1245 cents, over 200,000 kWh @ 8.3125 cents, with declining tail blocks tied to kWh-per-kW (6.1750 cents and 4.6930 cents). Excess reactive demand @ 22 cents/kVAR. Minimum is greater of $27.00 + $6.32/kW of demand or contract minimum, plus WP-12. Demand = highest 30-minute kW with summer/winter ratchets. | — |
| Commercial Time-of-Use (TOU) | commercial | Commercial members electing time-varying pricing; usage priced by on-peak vs off-peak period and season. | On-peak and off-peak energy pricing that varies by time of day, weekday/weekend, and season. Specific cents-per-kWh per period published in the TOU schedule; structure rewards shifting load to off-peak. Plus WP-12. | — |
| Commercial Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) | commercial | Commercial members enrolling in CPP; elevated prices 3-8 p.m. summer weekdays and during called critical-peak events. | Lower baseline energy charges with sharply higher critical-peak-event pricing during summer afternoon windows; designed to reward demand reduction during called events. See published CPP rate schedule. | — |
| Large Power (900 kW+) / GTESA | industrial | Large commercial and industrial members with connected load of 900 kW or greater; negotiated/contract rate. New facilities may choose supplier under GTESA. | Custom negotiated demand-and-energy contract rate set by Cobb EMC for qualifying large loads; terms vary by load profile and contract. Contact Cobb EMC at 770-429-2100. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Single-phase small business or office
Small single-phase commercial loads fit Rate 30, with seasonal tiered energy and a low $28 service charge.
No demand metering and seasonal tiers keep costs simple and predictable for low-kW single-phase sites.
- Watch the summer tier step at 1,000 kWh
- Enroll in paperless billing and monitor SmartHub My Usage
Three-phase facility with demand charges
Demand-metered three-phase facilities belong on Rate 40, where managing peak kW and power factor drives the bill.
Rate 40 bundles tiered energy with a demand component and reactive-demand adjustment; peak and PF management materially affect cost.
- Shave peaks to lower the 30-minute demand and ratchet
- Keep power factor high to avoid 22 cents/kVAR reactive charges
- Pull Green Button interval data to target peaks
Load-flexible commercial site
Businesses that can shift load should evaluate Commercial TOU or CPP to capture off-peak pricing.
Time-varying rates reward moving consumption out of summer afternoon peaks.
- Map operations against the 3-8 p.m. summer peak window
- Automate non-critical loads to off-peak periods
Large industrial load (900 kW+)
Loads of 900 kW or greater should pursue a negotiated large-power contract and may have supplier choice under GTESA.
Custom contract pricing and potential supplier choice for new facilities can outperform standard schedules.
- Engage Cobb EMC Business Services early at 770-429-2100
- Evaluate GTESA supplier choice for new construction
Historical Rate Trends
Cobb EMC base rates are board-approved; the published Rate 30 schedule is effective January 1, 2022 and Rate 40 effective January 1, 2021. Month-to-month bills move with the Wholesale Power Adjustment (WP-12), which rises and falls with wholesale power costs.
January 1, 2021
Rate 40 Large General Service schedule effective date.
n/aJanuary 1, 2022
Rate 30 Small General Service schedule effective date.
n/aOverall trend: Base energy blocks stable since 2021-2022; effective rates fluctuate with monthly WP-12 / power cost adjustment.
Next expected change: No fixed schedule; WP-12 adjusts monthly and the board may revise base rates as wholesale costs change.
Cost Optimization Strategies
C&I members can reduce cost by managing peak demand, shifting load to off-peak periods, and correcting power factor to avoid reactive-demand charges.
Demand management
For: Rate 40 and large power accounts
Stagger equipment startup and shave peaks to lower the highest 30-minute demand that sets Rate 40 demand charges and ratchets.
Load shifting (TOU/CPP)
For: TOU/CPP-enrolled commercial accounts
Move flexible loads out of summer 3-8 p.m. windows under Commercial TOU or CPP to capture lower off-peak energy pricing.
Power factor correction
For: Demand over 50 kW (Rate 40+)
Maintain power factor so reactive demand stays below half of measured kW, avoiding the 22 cents/kVAR excess reactive charge.
Interval data analysis
For: All C&I accounts
Use Green Button hourly exports to find peak drivers, validate conservation measures, and size solar/storage.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Cobb Electric Membership Corporation (Cobb EMC) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can our facilities team pull interval data for a Cobb EMC commercial account?▾
Log into SmartHub, open My Usage, and use Green Button Download My Data to export hourly interval data as XML or CSV (up to 14 months). For automation, request SmartHub API access through Business Services.
Does Cobb EMC support automated third-party data access?▾
Yes, through Green Button Connect My Data (OAuth 2.0 on NISC SmartHub) and via Nectar, which provides API access to Cobb EMC billing and interval data — see docs.nectarclimate.com. A direct SmartHub API is available under partnership.
What interval granularity is available for C&I accounts?▾
Hourly (1-hour) interval data plus daily summaries, collected via AMI and managed in Oracle Utilities MDM.
Can our business shop for a competitive electricity supplier?▾
No. Cobb EMC is a member-owned cooperative and Georgia retail choice does not apply, except that large loads of 900 kW or greater for new construction may choose a supplier under the Georgia Territorial Electric Service Act (GTESA).
How are demand charges handled for large commercial accounts?▾
Rate 40 (Large General Service) bills demand based on the highest 30-minute kW with summer/winter ratchets, and applies a reactive-demand (kVAR) adjustment where demand exceeds 50 kW.
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